Traction actuated devices for facilitating walking on water



Nov. 24, 1970 M. w. DUDA 3,541,623

TRACTION ACTUATED DEVICES FOR FACILITATING WALKING ON WATER Filed Oct. 21, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 26 28 26 2s HG}.

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TRACTION ACTUATED DEVICES FOR FACILITATING WALKING ON WATER Filed Oct. 21, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6.

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INVENTOR. MITCHELL W. DUDA ATTORNEYS.

3,541,623 TRACTION ACTUATED DEVICES FOR FACILITATING WALKING ON WATER Mitchell W. Dutla, Federal St., Belchertown, Mass. 01007 Filed Oct. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 769,194 Int. Cl. A63c 15/00 U.S. Cl. 9310 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Water walking devices adapted for attachment, one to each shoe of a user, to facilitate walking on water and comprising a pair of fioatable bodies, each having strategically arranged pairs of buoyancy pockets or recesses extending inwardly into the body from the under surface wherein, in forward advancing movements, the pockets or recesses containing combinations of air and water are emptied permitting the body to slide over the water surface and in the temporary thrusts, when the body is caused to bear downwardly upon the Water under the full weight of the user, the pockets or recesses provide both air pockets achieving increased buoyancy and water gripping elements achieving such traction as to enable the user to drive himself forwardly must as in normal walking.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Application, Ser. No. 638,450, filed May 15, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Footwear enabling the user to walk over water.

Description of the prior art The problems to be surmounted in successful travelling over water are quite different from those encountered in walking over snow by the use of snow-shoes or of snowskis, snow differing in its characteristics from water. Snow shoes support the weight of the user by distributing same over the areas of the snow-shoes and the fact that snow tmay leak through the meshes of the snow shoes or pass over their edges on to the top thereof is of no import since it is easily shaken off during walking. Snow skis, similarly, support the weight of the user because of the area of the skis and any snow gathering on the tops thereof falls ofi. during use and offer the added advantage that, in comparison with snow shoes, they slide over the snow.

In the case of water skis, as they are generally known, the area thereof is not sufficient to support the weight of the user when not in motion, the supporting effect being due to the planing action as the user is pulled over the surface of the water by a bridle held in his hands and connected to a motor boat which must travel at a speed sufficient to allow maintaining the skis on the water surface.

Among the problems to be overcome in walking on water are the suction efliects exerted by the water as steps are taken and the inevitable tendency toward slippage, sidewise, forwardly and rearwardly, owing to the slippery nature of the water and/or the supporting devices employed.

Another problem is the collection of water on the top surfaces of the supporting devices, adding to the weight of the devices and empeding the progress of the user.

Footwear of the prior art has been unreliable in its use, has failed to provide the requiste buoyancy and support, and has been complicated in structure and expensive in manufacture.

"United States Patent -O 'ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Herein is taught lightweight floatable bodies to facilitate walking over water or through swamps, marshes and like terrain untraversable with ordinary footwear and incorporating means for augmenting their inherent buoyancy and for firmly gripping the water in manner such that the normal walking motion may be successfully performed therewith. The body is of such design as to define pockets or recesses for coacting with the water during the course of walking in a step-by-step manner, the pockets or recesses being so arranged as also to define stabilizing means so that the user may advance forwardly over the water surface in perfect balance and free of any slipping or swaying.

One such device is adapted for attachment to each shoe of a user so as to give him adequate support and to effectively prevent his sinking when walking.

The attained supporting function is based upon the law of Archimedes to the effect that the weight of an object immersed in a fluid is decreased by the weight of the displaced fluid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view, in perspective, showing a pair of floatable shoes embodying the invention and illustrating their manner of use;

FIG. 2 is a broken view, in top plan, of a flotable shoe of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a broken view, in side elevation, of the shoe of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a broken view, in bottom plan, of the shoe of FIG. 2; a

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view, in section, on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are small scale views, in top plan, of first and second modified forms of pairs of shoes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Floatable shoes embodying the invention will be fabricated from lightweight wood, cork, Styrofoam, balsa wood, fiberglass or similar cfioatable solid substances and may be made in various sizes so as to be adapted for use by members of all age groups and persons of various !body weights.

By way of example, a pair of shoes where each shoe is of approximately 7' in length and 16" in width and 4" in depth will support an individual approximating 200 pounds in weight.

It will be apparent that two shoes are adapted to be used simultaneously, one for each foot, in manner whereby the weight of the wearer will be supported as he walks, in normal manner, upon water.

A shoe embodying the invention will include an elongated horizontally-disposed body 10 of greater length than Width, curved upwardly at its forward or toe or leading end as at 12, and squared at its rearward or heel or trailing end as at 14, all so as to insure most efiicient movement through the water.

Except for the upturned forward end, the upper surface 16 of the shoe is plane throughout and carries a boot receiving assembly, generally indicated by 18, which may be of any suitable form such as a resilient instep strap 20 fixed to upper surface 16 and a longitudinally-aligned adjustable heel strap 22 mounted rearwardly thereof on upper surface 16. As will appear, with the shoe of the user secured between and by such instep and heel straps, the shoe may be readily moved as the users leg and foot are moved in the walking process. Too, the assemblies will be of such design that ready disengagement therefrom is allowed, especially in the event of emergency.

The instep strap of the boot receiving assembly is located slightly forwardly of the longitudinal center of the shoe so that, when the shoe is lifted by the user, the forward upturned end will rise before the rearward squared en The lower planar surface 24 of each shoe is provided with a plurality of pairs of equi-spaced, transversely-arranged pockets or recesses 26 which extend upwardly and inwardly into the body of the shoe, the leading pair of such recesses being disposed rearwardly of the forward upturned end 12 of the shoe and the trailing pair of such recesses being disposed forwardly of the rearward squared end 14 of the shoe.

The mouth of each such recess is coplanar with lower planar surface 24 and the area of the recess upwardly of the lower surface is of tear drop configuration to provide a recess wall surface 28 which is curved and generally extends angularly forwardly into the body of the shoe. Stated in another way, each of the recesses is inclined inwardly in the front-to-rear direction.

Being so inclined, these pockets offer no resistance to movement of the shoe as it is lifted forwardly over the water and in fact are of such configuration as to encourage the water to drain therefrom as the shoe is so lifted. They provide a plurality of scoop-like pockets by which the user can obtain traction to impel himself over the surface of the water, when the shoe is settled down upon the water surface.

They will trap air within the recess above the water line as shown in FIG. so as to augment the buoyancy of the shoe per se.

The walls of the recesses on the opposite sides of the body and along the longitudinal center line between the pairs of recesses define what serve as rudders or keels 32, the lower edges thereof being disposed in the plane of lower surface 24.

A stabilizing effect is provided by those walls of the pockets or recesses and the so-called rudders or keels preclude unwanted shucking sideways or sliding as the shoe is operated over water.

The manner of use of the floatable shoes is illustrated in FIG. 1 with the wearer actually gliding over the surface of the water. Starting with the shoes side-by-side, he advances one shoe forwardly over the surface of the water, the smooth curve of the upturned forward end precluding the shoe from digging into the water and the recesses on lower surface 24 offering no resistance to the forward movement of the shoe.

The user has now reached the position shown in FIG. 1, with the right foot forward and the left foot to the rear. As he next brings the left foot forward, he exerts a pressure on the right shoe which is already forward whereby the recesses bite into the water to insure against any backward movement of the shoe.

A normal walking gait may be used (i.e., alternately picking the shoes up and placing down on the surface of the water), or a sliding snow-shoe type of movement may be used wherein the shoes are not picked up out of the water.

During such rectilinear movement of the shoes, the keels or rudders 32 act as stabilizers, keeping the shoes on an even keel and the pockets cause the shoes to firmly engage the water.

It will be appreciated that the water shoe is provided with pockets or recesses wherein in forward advancing movement the pockets or recesses are emptied so as to permit the shoe to slide over the water whereas when the shoe is placed upon the water surface and the wearers full weight is added thereto the pockets or recesses serve as gripping elements to provide the requisite traction for enabling the user to drive forwardly.

To be useful in moving forwardly, the pockets of the shoe must be automatically emptied of water as one shoe is moved forwardly and must be automatically filled to provide the driving power as that shoe is employed, under 4 the weight of the user, to provide the traction while the other shoe is moved forwardly.

The water provides the traction whereby the wearer thrusts one foot forwardly while pushing downwardly on the other foot as in walking.

Thereby, the shoe may be classified as of the self-propelled type whereby the user may function upon water without being towed by a powered source.

It has been with this problem in mind that this traction shoe has been provided.

In forward advancing motion of the shoe, the pockets or recesses are emptied.

Shoes embodying the invention may be rectangular, with parallel side walls, as in the FIGS. 1-5 embodiments, or they may be somewhat triangular as in the FIGS. 6 and 7 embodiments.

In FIG. 6, is shown a pair of shoes with the boot assemblies omitted. Shoes of this embodiment include an elongated horizontally-disposed body of greater length than width, curved upwardly at its forward or toe or leading end as at 112, and squared at its rearward or heel or trailing end as at 114, all so as to insure efficient movement through the water. Except for the optional forward end, the upper surface 116 of the shoe is plane throughout.

Herein, upright side walls 117, 117 incline inwardly from toe to heel to impart a triangular configuration to the shoes.

In FIG. 7, is shown a pair of shoes with the boot assemblies omitted. Shoes of this embodiment include an elongated horizontally-disposed body 210 of greater length than width, curved upwardly at its forward or toe or leading end as at 212, and squared at its rearward or heel or trailing end as at 214, all so as to insure sfficient movement through the water. Except for the optional forward end, the upper surface 216 of the shoe is plane throughout.

Herein upright side walls 217, 217 incline outwardly from the toe to heel to impart a triangular configuration to the shoes.

The lower planar surfaces of the shoes of both FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, are provided with a plurality of pairs of equispaced, transversely-arranged pockets or recesses, not shown, similar to those of FIGS. 1-5, which extend upwardly and inwardly into the body of the shoe, the leading pair of such recesses being disposed rearwardly of the upturned forward end of the shoe and the trailing pair of such recesses being disposed forwardly of the rearward end of the shoe.

The shoes of FIG. 6, being broader at their forward or toe ends than at their rearward or heel ends, permit the user to obtain a better bite as he moves forwardly, with the slim, tapered heel offering less resistance to forward movement.

The narrow, almost pointed forward or toe ends of the FIG. 7 embodiment, on the other hand, permit the shoes to be moved forwardly very rapidly while the broad rearward or heel ends act as stabilizers.

I claim:

1. Water walking devices, adapted for attachment, one to each shoe of a user, to facilitate walking on water and comprising: a pair of floatable bodies, each having spaced pairs of open buoyancy pockets or recesses elliptical in plan and extending inwardly into the body from the under surface, wherein the mouth of each pocket or recess is unobstructed and coplanar with the lower planar surface of the body, and the area of the pocket or recess upwardly of the lower surface is of tear drop configuration, and the pockets or recesses are inclined forwardly and inwardly and slope from a front-to-rear direction, the pockets or recesses containing combinations of air and water whereby, in forward advancing movements, said pockets are emptied, permitting the body to slide over the water surface and, in the temporary thrusts, when the body is caused to bear downwardly upon the water under the full weight of the user, the pockets or recesses providing the water gripping elements to allow such traction as to enable the user to drive himself forwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 3,034,157 5/1962 Abajian 9--3 10 3,084,356 4/1963 Wheat 9310 FOREIGN PATENTS 475,691 11/ 1952 Italy. 584,760 11/ 1958 Italy. 250,680 7/ 1948 Switzerland.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner P. E. SAUBERER, Assistant Examiner 

